Emergency Home Repair Program

How it works

The City of Springfield’s Emergency Home Repair Program provides funds to income-eligible owner-occupants for the cost of a single-item emergency repair to their home. The assistance is structured as a 0% interest deferred-payment loan.

What the money covers

The repair must address an emergency condition. The page says an emergency exists when there is an immediate threat to the health and safety of the property’s occupants or to the property’s structural, electrical, or mechanical integrity. The City’s Rehabilitation Specialist decides whether a particular repair qualifies as an emergency.

Eligible items include, but are not limited to:

• roofs
• heating systems
• electrical or mechanical systems
• dangerous steps, landings, and/or porches
• handrails or guardrails
• plumbing
• inadequate flooring
• foundation walls or crawl space piers
• sump pumps
• handicap accessibility
• other urgent code enforcement conditions

Amounts and repayment

The page does not state a dollar cap or maximum award.

The loan is forgiven over five years if the owner continues to occupy the home as their principal residence. One-fifth of the loan is forgiven each year. If the owner sells the home or moves to a different primary residence within the five-year period, the remaining prorated balance must be repaid.

How to apply

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and funds are provided first-come, first-served. Applicants are considered in the order their application is complete, including all required documentation. The page offers an online application and a paper application.

Timing and deadlines

There is no posted end date. The page indicates the program is ongoing and that applications are accepted continuously as funds remain available.